Alexandra Biederman – Sponsored Rider

Alex Biederman (Equites Riding Club) grew up riding with Russell Frey and rode in her last junior year with Missy Clark, including as a working student for Missy. After attending NYU, she moved to California where she is an assistant trainer with Equites Riding Club. In 2017, she was the runner-up for The Emerging Professional Grant Award from Blenheim EquiSports. In true role model fashion, Alex accepted the award with the following comment:

“I want to succeed as a professional that others can trust and look up to; it is important to me that I always uphold true sportsmanship and that I have strong, positive relationships with others in my industry. I strive to be a top competitor, but also a young professional that others trust and respect.”

1. At what age did you begin riding, and what riding style did you begin with?

I began riding at the age of 8, and started with English riding, within a year I was jumping and knew that was the path I wanted to continue with!

2. What is the best training tip you received from a trainer?

I have been fortunate enough to train with many great professionals in the industry such as Missy Clark, Russell Frey, Erynn Ballard and Don Stewart, and I think some of the best advice I have been given is to realize that when you walk in the ring, for those two minutes it is only about you and your horse. It doesn’t matter what has happened in your day, in your month, etc. In that moment, in the ring all that matters is the communication between horse and rider, which I think is key to making the most out of your performance.

3. What is the worst training tip you received from a trainer?

I have been fortunate to ride with great professionals and mentors who luckily have never given me bad advice. Everyone makes mistakes and falters in moments, but I cannot say that any of my trainers have given me what I would consider bad advice.

4. What training technique is your go to tool for preparing yourself and your horse(s) for a show?

The best training technique I have learned to prepare horses of any level, but certainly horses I ride in Grand Prix classes, is to focus on flatwork and gymnastic type exercises. If I can constantly keep improving my horses’ flatwork then I don’t need to practice jumping big at home, and I will have confidence that I will have the rideability I need when the jumps are big in the show ring.

5. What do you consider your biggest riding strength?

I think one of my biggest strengths as a rider is that I get along well with many different types of horses. As a professional in a large barn of many clients, I have to ride a variety of different types of horses. My naturally calm demeanor suits my career, and I have the ability to ride and understand each horse as an individual, and I can adjust to each horse instead of trying to make each horse adjust to me.

6. What has been your biggest riding challenge?

The biggest challenge I have come across thus far is learning how to juggle my own competitive riding at the Grand Prix level with the needs and great importance of our own clients. I put our clients first, which means sometimes not being able to walk my own course or having to be much quicker than planned with my own warmup. However, learning to balance our clients with my own competitive riding has only taught me to be a stronger trainer and well-rounded professional rider.

7. If you could ride anywhere in the world where would that be?

I would love to be able to show on a European tour at some point. I definitely would love to compete at Olympia (in London), the Royal (in Toronto), and Aachen (in Germany). I could list many, many more, as there are just so many great shows across the world!

8. Do you cross train/trail ride with your horse(s)?

I have started competing a bit in three day eventing, which I feel has improved my ability to ride off a gallop. However, for my Grand Prix horse, I only have him compete in show jumping and do not tend to take him on many trail rides. He is on a pretty tight program where I make sure he stays fit and happy, and at this point in his training I would not want to stray too far from that program.

9. If you were to dress up your horse(s) for Halloween what would you both be?

I would love to dress myself and my horse up as something Star Wars themed, maybe because I have always had a secret desire to dress up for Comic-Con…haha.

10. What books on riding would you recommend?

Hunter Seat Equitation by George Morris. Also when I was a junior and competing in Medal Finals, each year before I went to indoors I would watch “A Day at the ASHA National Medal Finals”. It was a huge inspiration for me as a young junior rider.